Electric coupling device



T. R. BROWN.

ELECTRIC COUPLING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED. MM 12, 19m. RENEWED SEPT-7, 19m

11%;? 1 Patented Apr. 23, 1918,

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anon/ins n. BROWN, or srAnKILL, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE coMrANY, or WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENN- SYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC COUPLING DEVICE.

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. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented am. as, rain.

Application filed. May 12, 1914, Serial No. 837,990. Renewed September 7, 1916. Serial No. 118,947.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, THOMAS E. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sparkill, in the county of Rockland and State ofNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Coupling Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification. V

This invention relatesto electric train line couplings, and; more particularly to that type of coupling in which the coupling head is provided with a plurality of fixed contacts'connected to the respective train line circuits and amovable contact carrier adapted to be automatically projected into a counterpart coupling for electrically connecting the fixed contacts and thereby the electric train line circuits.

Oneobject of my invention is to provide an electric train line coupling of the above type in which the contact carrier is moved bythe action of a tappet. controlled system oflever's upon engagement of contact carriers in counterpart coupling heads.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved fluid pressure controlled device for releasing the couplings and,re

turning the parts to normal position.

- In the accompanying drawingFigure l is a sectional plan view of counterpart coupling heads embodying my invention and shown in the coupledposition; Fig. 2 is a similar view'of a coupling head with the parts in normal. position; Fig. 3 a detail sec: tional View on the line w-d of Fig. 2; and

' Fig. 4 a detail sectional view on the line 646 of Fig.2. a

According to my present invention, the coupling headmay comprise a suitable casing .1, containing a horizontally movable contact carrier or slide 2which may be provided with a plurality of contacts adapted upon projection of the slide to electrically connect corresponding fixed contacts in the coupling heads and thereby the respective train line circuits. 7 t

For the sake of simplicity, the above mentioned contacts are not shown in the drawings, but may be similar to the arrangement shown in my pending application, Serial No. 828466, filed March 31, 1914, as will be evident. J V n i .At one side of the contact carrier 2 a tappet 3 is mounted in the casing 1, so. as to normally project out beyond the meeting face 4; 5- of said tappet is pivotally connected a link 6 of a toggle lever connection. The other link 7 is pivotally connected to the link 6 and includes a coil spring 8. The link 7 is pivotally connected to a lever 9 fulcrumed at 10 to the casing 1 and said lever has its long arm pivotally connected to a rod 11 which in turnis pivoted on the contact carrier 2.

A roller 12 is mounted on the cam projection 14: is provided on the contact carrier in position to engage the roller 12 upon inward movement of the carrier from normal position.

As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, in the normalposition of the parts, the contact carrier 2 projects out from the meeting face l-of the coupling to a slight extent and the links 6 and 7 are in line, with the tappet 3projecting from the meeting face i. In coupling, as counterpart coupling heads "approach, the tappet 3 of one coupling first engages the meeting face of the other coupling and the spring 8 of the toggle link 7 in each coupling head is thereupon compressed. p 1

The meeting facesof the contact carriers 2 then engage and since the resistance of the springs 8 and the friction of the parts can never be exactly the same in two couplings,

it will be evident that one of the contact movement of the tappet 3 acts through the lever 9 and the rod 11 to shift Or project the corresponding contact carrier into the counterpart coupling. Since the resistance ofthe other contact carrier to movement is of the coupling head, and to the stem pivot pin 13 connecting the togglelinks 6 and 7 and a removed as previously explained, the same o-f'the tappet 3-and since the passageQO also will be shifted rearwardly by the action of the projected contactfcarrier. In this 'position, the contacts on the projected carrier electrically connect the fixed contacts in the counterpart couplings and thereby the electric train line circuits.

In order to release the couplings, a tripping finger 15 is provided on the link 7 in positio'n'to be engaged by a tappet 16 which may be operated pneumatically or manually.

For operating the'tappet pneumatically, the tappet 16 isprovided with a piston 1 7, subject on one side to a spring 18 tending to hold the tappet in its retracted position and having a pipe 19 opening to the opposite side.

A passage 20 leads from this side of the piston 17 to the tappet 3 and registers with a passage21 through the tappet. The passage 21 opens into chamber 22 at the rear communicates with said chamber, it will be clear that when fluid under pressure is ad- 'will also flow to the piston 17 mitted tothe piston "17 on one car, the same ofthe coupling-on the other car.

uncoupling, when fluid is' supplied to. the pistonj17 on one car, said piston and the corresponding piston on theother car will be shifted; so as to cause the tappet 16 to act on the finger 15 of the coupling, having its contact carrier projected. Thertoggle lever mechanism is thereupon tripped and the links 6 and 7 .are thrown out. of alinenient.

The expansion of the spring 8' then acts to draw the projected carrier back to release position so that the couplings may be uncoupled.

' Upon separation of the coupling heads, the tappet 3 on each coupling is forced outwardly to normal position by a spring-23, causing the links '6 and 7 to assume their normal positions, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

A fpush rod 24 may beattached to the tappet 16 so as to permit of operating the trip 7 finger 15 maunally when desired.

. ,I-Iaving 'nowdescribed my invention, what Iiclaim-asnewand desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. In an electric train line coupling, the combination with a movable contact carrier adapted to be projected into a counterpart coupler for electrically connecting the train line circuits, ofja mechanism including a spring'operatively connected with the contact carrier, a tappet for compressing said spring, and means operated by the yielding movement of one of the carriers to actuate said mechanism to project the other contact carrier upon the coming together of the counterpart couplers.

2. In an electric train line coupling, the combination with a movable contact'carrier adapted to be projected into a counterpart coupling for electrically connecting the train line circuits, of a toggle lever mechanism including a spring and operatively connected with the contact carrier, a tappet torcompressing said spring, and means operatcd by the yielding of one of the carriers for actuating said lever mechanism to proj ect the other contact carrier upon the coming together of counterpart couplings.

3. In an electric train line coupling, the combination with a movable contact carrier adapted to be projectedinto a counterpart coupling for electrically connecting the train line circuits, of a toggle lever mechanism including a spring and operatively connected to the contact carrier, at tappet for compressing the spring, and means '01)- era'ted-upon engagement of the counterpart contact carriers for tripping one of the toggle lever mechanisms.

4-. In an electric train line coupling, the combination with a movable contact carrier adapted to be projected into a counterpart coupling for electrically'connecting the train line circuits, of a mechanical trip mechanism, including a spring acting on said carrier, a tappet operated by engagement with a counterpart coupling for compressing said spring, and means associated with: the contact carrier for tripping the mechanical trip mechanism upon engagement of counterpart contact carriers.

-5. In an electric train line coupling, the combination with a movable contact'carrier adapted to be projected into a counterpart couplin for electrically connecting the train line circuits, of a mechanical trip mechanism, including a spring acting on said carrier, a tappet operated by engagement with a counterpart coupling for compressing said spring, and a projection carried by the contact carrier for tripping the mechanical trip mechanism upon engagement of counterpart contact carriers.

6. In an electric train line coupling, the combination with a movable contact carrier adapted to be projected into a counterpart coupler for electrically connecting the train line circuits, of a toggle lever mechanism including a spring operatively connected with the contact carrier, a tappet for 'compressing said spring, means operated by the yielding movement of a contact carrier for shifting said toggle mechanism, and a spring for resetting the toggle mechanism upon separation of the couplers.

7. In an electric train line coupling, the combination with amovable contact carrier adapted to be projected into a. counterpart coupling for electrically connecting the train line-circuits, of a toggle lever mechanism containing a spring and operative to project the contact carrier, a tappet for'operating said toggle lever mechanism and for imam compressing saiol spring upon engagement In testimony whereof I have hereunto set of counterpart couplings, a projection on my hand. the contact carrier for automatically tripping the toggle lever mechanism, and man- THOMAS ually controlled means for tripping the tog- Witnesses:

gle lever mechanism When the contact car- A. M. CLEMENTB,

rier is in the projected position. S. W. KEEFEB.

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